How to Get an Emergency Travel Document for Sri Lankans Abroad

Verified · 8 Nov 2026In person only

If your Sri Lankan passport is lost, stolen or has expired while you are abroad and you need to come home soon, apply at the nearest Sri Lankan embassy, high commission or consulate for a Non-Machine Readable Passport (NMRP) or a Temporary Travel Document. It is valid only for a one-way journey back to Sri Lanka. Apply with the passport application form at the mission. A foreigner who loses their passport while in Sri Lanka can get an identification certificate the same day at the Immigration head office for Rs. 3,500.

At a glance

Fee: Not verified — check the official source

Where: The nearest Sri Lankan embassy, high commission or consulate (Sri Lankans abroad)
+ 1 more place

Online?: In person only

Form: K 35 A
+ 1 more

Do you need this?

When you need it

Your Sri Lankan passport was lost, stolen or expired while you are abroad, and you need to return to Sri Lanka soon.
You are a foreigner in Sri Lanka whose passport or travel document was lost, stolen or expired.

Who can apply

NMRPs and Temporary Travel Documents are issued to Sri Lankans whose passports were lost, stolen or expired in a foreign country.
They are for people who intend to come back to Sri Lanka within a short time, and are valid for one-way travel to Sri Lanka only.
Each mission sets how long the document stays valid. The embassy in Bangkok, for example, issues it for one month.
If you apply for a new passport at a mission and must travel home before it arrives, the mission may issue an NMRP to cover the gap.
An identification certificate is issued to foreigners whose passport or travel document was lost, stolen or expired while in Sri Lanka.

Documents you need

Documents to bring

0 of 3 ready

Application form (from the Sri Lankan mission, or the passport application form downloaded from the Department's website)
Proof of identity and citizenship, such as your original birth certificate and NIC or driving licence
Each mission sets its own list. Check its website before you go.

Only if…

Local police report and the stolen or lost passport complaint formIf your passport was lost or stolen abroad

Process at a glance

Step 1
Report a lost or stolen passport
Make a complaint at the local police and get a police report. Fill in the Department's stolen or lost passport complaint form.
Step 2
Contact the nearest Sri Lankan mission
Go to the Sri Lankan embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you are, and say you need to travel home urgently.
Step 3
Apply for an NMRP or Temporary Travel Document
Get the application form from the mission or download the printable form (opens in a new tab), and fill it in using English block capitals. Each mission sets its own list, so check its website first.
Step 4
Travel home
The document is valid only for one journey back to Sri Lanka. Keep it, because you hand it in with a photocopy when you apply for a new passport at home, along with the original police complaint showing the lost passport number. See the lost passport guide.
Step 5
Foreigners in Sri Lanka
If you are a foreigner whose passport was lost, stolen or expired in Sri Lanka, go in person to the Department of Immigration and Emigration head office for an identification certificate. It is issued the same day for Rs. 3,500.
You're done

Step by step

Step 01
Report a lost or stolen passport
Make a complaint at the local police and get a police report. Fill in the Department's stolen or lost passport complaint form.
Step 02
Contact the nearest Sri Lankan mission
Go to the Sri Lankan embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you are, and say you need to travel home urgently.
Step 03
Apply for an NMRP or Temporary Travel Document
Get the application form from the mission or download the printable form (opens in a new tab), and fill it in using English block capitals. Each mission sets its own list, so check its website first. Hand in the following documents.
- The completed application form (K 35 A)
- A statement you write about how the passport was lost
- The original police report from the local police
- A photocopy of the lost passport, if you have one
- Recent photographs in the size the mission asks for
- Your original birth certificate (translations are not accepted)
- Your original NIC or driving licence
- Your air ticket or booking, if the mission asks for it
Step 04
Travel home
The document is valid only for one journey back to Sri Lanka. Keep it, because you hand it in with a photocopy when you apply for a new passport at home, along with the original police complaint showing the lost passport number. See the lost passport guide.
Step 05
Foreigners in Sri Lanka
If you are a foreigner whose passport was lost, stolen or expired in Sri Lanka, go in person to the Department of Immigration and Emigration head office for an identification certificate. It is issued the same day for Rs. 3,500.

Fees

Not verified

Identification certificate (foreigners in Sri Lanka): Rs. 3,500
NMRP or Temporary Travel Document: Set by each mission
Example: NMRP at the embassy in Bangkok: THB 1,650 (THB 4,950 in place of a lost passport)

Where to go

Forms

More detail

Contact the Department of Immigration and Emigration

Hotline: 1962
Phone: +94 112 101 500
Address: "Suhurupaya", Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla

Common problems

I need to go to another country, not home.

An NMRP or Temporary Travel Document is valid only for one-way travel to Sri Lanka. Ask the mission about a new passport instead.

My passport expired abroad.

If you're coming home soon, the mission can issue an NMRP or Temporary Travel Document. Otherwise apply for a passport renewal through the mission. Applications through a mission don't need fingerprints or a digital photo from an authorised studio.

Will I pay a fine for the passport I lost abroad?

When you replace it at home, there is a fine on top of the passport fee if the lost passport had not yet expired. It is Rs. 20,000 if it was lost within one year of issue, and Rs. 15,000 after that.

I'm a foreigner and lost my passport in Sri Lanka.

Go in person to the Immigration head office in Battaramulla for an identification certificate (Rs. 3,500, same day).

FAQ

How do I get home if I lose my Sri Lankan passport abroad?

Report it to the local police, then apply at the nearest Sri Lankan mission for an NMRP or Temporary Travel Document, valid for one trip back to Sri Lanka.

What is an NMRP?

A Non-Machine Readable Passport issued by Sri Lankan missions to Sri Lankans whose passports were lost, stolen or expired abroad. It is valid for one-way travel to Sri Lanka.

Can I use a temporary travel document to go to another country?

No. It is valid only for one-way travel to Sri Lanka.

What should a foreigner do after losing their passport in Sri Lanka?

Get an identification certificate from the Immigration head office (same day, Rs. 3,500).

Official sources

Checked against these official pages8 Nov 2026

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